Android 2.1 on the Dell Streak brings many improvements

One of the disappointing aspects of the Dell Streak is that it initially comes with Android 1.6. (The most disappointing aspect is that those of us outside Europe still can't get one.) Even though Dell has promised that the upgrade to Froyo will come quickly, those who have become familiar with 2.1 have a difficult time going back.

Dell has announced however, that it be upgrading to 2.1 early next month to satisfy customers until they are able to roll out 2.2. The Streak is much improved with 2.1, as Engadget recently demonstrated.

First off, the camera will be capable of capturing 720p video, which is a very welcome improvement. Secondly, the default keyboard on the device is greatly improved. From the time testers were able to try out the Streak, the on-screen keyboard has been one of the biggest annoyances. Dell has removed the numpad and caps lock keys, which has improved the experience dramatically. Multi-touch is still missing, which would be a nice feature, but we can't get everything at once.

One of my favorite apps on the Nexus One has been the Gallery app, which integrates with Picasa. With 2.1, the Dell Streak will now use that as the default app for pictures. I think it's one of the best integrated features of Android and it's too bad when OEMs or carriers replace it with something else. Streak owners will be happy to know that they can enjoy seamless Picasa integration.

Another feature that will come with Eclair is pinch and zoom with Google Maps, which is a nifty improvement.

Android 2.1 will bring other improvements as well; to see those, visit the link at the end. It's a great sign that Dell is committed to their device and seems to be listening to its customer base. Let's hope that continues to be the way they handle their Android handsets in the future. [Engadget]

Vibrant now available to Canadians on Bell

Bell announced today that it has begun to sell the Samsung Vibrant, bringing the Galaxy S to yet another North American carrier.

If you're looking to buy the Vibrant on Bell, you can either purchase it with a 3 year contract at $149 or without a contract at $499. Bell will also enter you in giveaways if you buy one, including a Samsung 55" LED TV (buy before September 3rd) or Lady Gaga tickets.

The Vibrant marks the first Galaxy S to hit Canada, which will be followed soon by the Captivate on Rogers. Canadians have already received good news this morning as the HTC Desire is now available on Telus. [Bell]

Password protect your phone

Few things are more important these days than security. If your phone is lost or stolen, you want to keep your information out of someone else's hands. And one of the easiest ways to do that is with basic password protection on your phone.

Motorola i1 hands-on with Android and push-to-talk

Not every new phone is a 1 GHz box of thunder, nor does it have to be. The Motorola i1 is built tough, even if the specs aren't very high: 3.1-inch LCD screen, 600 MHz ARM 11 processor, Android 1.5, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, basically everything you'd expect in an Android phone, all running on the Nextel IDEN network -- which means Push-To-Talk.

We'll have a proper review for this one shortly, as there's no way we can overlook the first IDEN Android, but for now here's a quick glance, after the break.

Netflix employee: 'Good things come to those who wait'

We still don't have Netflix on Android. And we probably won't tomorrow, either. But that doesn't mean the movie rental company isn't hard at work on an Android app. We've been pretty sure they've been spending their summer on it, and a Netflix employee is on Reddit this morning taking some questions. of interest to us is this answer:

I just know we're actively hiring Android devs. I wish I knew more about a timeframe for you. Good things come to those who wait. Netflix is essentially a tech company and with the way Android is blowing up it would be stupid of us to ignore that.

Cliches aside, we couldn't agree more, what with all these 4-inch and higher phones floating around. [Reddit] Thanks, Kevin!

HTC Desire available today on Telus

Back in the middle of July, we got word that the HTC Desire was officially coming to Canada on Telus. We just didn't know when it was going to happen. Well, it just so happens to be coming out, let's say - today! If you live in Canada and want something similar to the Nexus One, even though it kind of died, the HTC Desire is the way to go. [Telus]

Another leak updates Evo 4G to official version [#Froyogeddon]

If you're adventurous, there's no need to wait for HTC to get you "back on track" with the official Froyo, as the RUU has been leaked out. A RUU is a Windows program that's usually used by technicians to restore or upgrade an Android phone to the latest version. Using one is easy:

Charge your Evo's battery to at least 75 percent

Make sure HTC Sync is installed on your PC

Turn on USB debugging on your phone

Connect to your computer, and use the charge only USB profile

Double click the RUU and follow the prompts

Warning -- this will erase all your data, as well as break any and all known root methods. And we'll remind you of a long talk we had during last night's podcast (and which was reiterated by HTC). In fact, we'll just quote HTC: "When official (software) updates are ready, HTC or your carrier will notify you. Unofficial software can create future issues." Words to live by.

All that said, See the source link for the download link. [xda-developers] Thanks salomy!

Hi folks, a number of you have commented on seeing a battery drain on your device since installing the new Facebook for Android app. We have identified the bug that is causing this battery drain and are working on a fix now. As soon as the patch is ready, we will push out an update. Thanks for the quick feedback and for your patience as we get this fixed!

Until then, you might have to uninstall. Hang in there, folks. [Facebook for Android] Thanks, Junior!

PayPal launches updated PayPal Mobile application

A few months ago we caught wind of the iPhone style "bump" pay method coming to Android, and today it's officially been released. Along with the bump payment, where users can bump devices to transfer the money, the application also includes a new feature called "split the bill." This feature allows users who may be out to dinner with a group of friends or coworkers to calculate everyone's portion of the bill, including tax and tip, and request the money from them right through the application. In addition to these new features the PayPal application will also allow you to check your balance, withdraw funds and set reminders so you don't miss anymore of those pesky monthly bills. Hit the jump for all the download information!

Droid X now getting Froyo by 'early September' [#Froyogeddon]

When enough people complain about a valid issue plaguing many user's Motorola Droid Xs, Motorola should respond, right? Well, they've done just that. Those who have been using Exchange 2003 email on their X's have been experiencing a few unwanted problems.

While answering these issues on the support forums, Motorola has nonchalantly given us an update as to when we can expect Froyo on the Droid X. "A fix for this will be included in the upgrade to Android 2.2 scheduled for deployment by early September," said Matt, a Motorola employee on the forums. Of course, that doesn't really progress us much from the previous time frame of "later this summer," does it? [Motorola via Engadget]

Droid 2 shows up at Best Buy -- dummy phones, that is...

Sick of hearing and seeing leaked information and photos of the Motorola Droid 2? Well, here are some very exciting new pictures of the Verizon phone that everybody and their mother knows (knows!) is coming in a week.

Maybe the Epic 4G is coming Aug. 11, and maybe it isn't

So we've all been sitting around, not-so-patiently waiting on the launch of the Sprint Epic 4G -- its version of the Samsung Galaxy S, with a keyboard tacked on. (See our hands-on with the Epic 4G.) And lo and behold, the Sprint playbook shows Aug. 11 as "Epic Launch Day." Only, we've been told that the playbook's been edited and no longer has anything "Epic" going on on Aug. 11.

So maybe the Epic 4G isn't actually launching next Wednesday. Or maybe it is, and Sprint's just trying to throw us off its tail. But one thing's for certain: Nobody canceled National Underwear Day today, and we're got our own Epic celebration planned for later tonight. Thanks to you know who!

Want to get your hands on unreleased Android phones? Check Craigslist

The HTC Paradise and Fiesta aren't on the tip of anyone's tongues, because they haven't been released or even rumored to be released yet. That didn't stop someone from placing them both on Craigslist as "AT&T sample" phones, and thankfully someone with a camera and internet access scooped them right up. The Paradise (pictured above) sounds much like the PC70110, an HTC slider that passed through the FCC back in April. The Fiesta has little to no resemblance to anything we've heard of, and it's not even listed in the codename leaks we saw from a ROM back in December. Based on looks and form factor alone, it appears to be an early version of the Aria, but thats pure speculation on my part.

After all is said and done, it's a great score for the fellow that got them, and AT&T could certainly use a qwerty Android phone besides the Backflip. Just lose the blue, please. You can check out a pic of the Fiesta after the jump. [CellPassion via Engadget]

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